Caramoan, Philippines the location for Survivor 25, 26

Survivor‘s 25th and 26th seasons will be filmed earlier than usual and start production soon, with crew members heading to the location this weekend. And while there’s been rampant speculation about what exactly these seasons will consist of, and how returning cast members will be included, there’s very little concrete information except that the show will be filmed in the Philippines, specifically in a place known as CamSur.

News that the show would film in Caramoan, in the Camarines Sur province, has been coming from the islands, particularly over the past month. In January, a regional newspaper reported that “Survivor USA shoot will be the thirteenth season series of the globally broadcast reality show” to film there, and in mid-January, “personnel of the Provincial Capitol trooped to Gota Village Resort to attend to and oversee requirements at the facility in terms of personnel, housekeeping and logistical requirements in order to be ready for the coming of Survivor USA’s cast and crew.” Another report mentioned that a U.S. television series would film for four months, following production on the next Bourne film there.

More recent confirmation comes from a kayaking company and inn, which says on its web site that “Matukad island will be closed during March as production team of USA is now in Caramoan preaparing for the Survivor show!”, while a tour company advertised its experience on Facebook by saying “Survivor USA is setting up now at CARAMOAN, shooting will start by March… get the chance to have a glimpse of it.”

That the show would be filmed in Caramoan, in the Camarines Sur province, was reported two years ago, when a government official revealed that in a newspaper report–although the paper reported it in an odd way, saying that CBS’ version “would also be filmed here next year until 2012.” That, of course, wasn’t true, and the “until 2012” made little sense; it’s likely there were discussions back then, perhaps even with SEG tentatively reserving filming slots for 2012.

The great part about this is that, after four of six seasons being set in Samoa, this location looks pretty different, even though it islands in the South Pacific. Here’s a preview of the location, including images from other seasons shot there:

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart is a journalist who has covered reality television for more than 15 years and created reality blurred in 2000. A member of the Television Critics Association, his writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Playboy, Vulture, and many other publications. Andy, 38, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. More about reality blurred and Andy.

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